Thursday, December 23, 2010

Thu, Dec 23, 2010 at 12:05 PM

Nothing like a new, constrictive, anti-dance law to galvanize an army of ravers. A spate of reported drug overdoses — and at least one death — inspired San Francisco Assemblywoman Fiona Ma to introduce new legislation that would outlaw raves in California. The text of AB 74 (dubbed “the anti-rave act”) will make it a misdemeanor for anyone to hold a public event with prerecorded music that lasts more than three-and-a-half hours. Possible punishments include a $10,000 fine, or twice the revenue generated by the event — whichever is more. Mostly aimed at outside promoters, the bill doesn’t apply to events that are hosted by a proper venue, so long as they accord with the venue’s business license.

Monday, December 20, 2010

Mon, Dec 20, 2010 at 5:34 PM

Just eighteen months after opening, San Francisco’s Coda will be closing on the first of the year, according to a press release that went out this afternoon. “After showcasing hundreds of bands, serving thousands of meals and mixing countless cocktails, Coda is sadly closing its doors on January 1st,” the release said.

When it opened last summer, the supper club — which featured live music six nights a week and until recently was the weekly home of the Jazz Mafia — was almost immediately heralded as a sign of an impending San Francisco jazz renaissance. But it appears that despite the club’s initial buzz and lineup of high-profile local musicians, the tough economic climate has gotten the best of Coda. “Despite our best efforts, the challenges of our economy proved too strong” the release said. “It breaks our hearts to close.”

In the release, owner Bruce Hanson promised that the Coda team will still be involved in the local music scene.

Monday, December 6, 2010

Mon, Dec 6, 2010 at 11:26 AM

The 19th edition of Noise Pop announced its first confirmations for its 2011 festival this morning. Held February 22-27, the long-running music festival will feature performances by Yo La Tengo, Best Coast, Dan Deacon, Wavves, Ted Leo,and others. The list (still developing) after the jump...

Friday, December 3, 2010

With two Mac computers, these nerds achieved startling popularity.

Fri, Dec 3, 2010 at 11:33 AM

Lazer Sword
Rock music has its back-to-the-land movements, but in the dance world, all things tend toward the synthetic. Take Lazer Sword, a new electronic duo that traffics in video game sounds, computer-generated whizzes, bassy blurps, and beats that never quite lock into a groove. The effect is that of a laptop producer placing his snare and high hat against the audio for Ms. Pacman. Beatsmiths Low Limit and Lando Kal evidently had little interest in melody when they launched Lazer Sword from two Mac computers, flipping dozens of samples per song. They've achieved startling popularity, garnering accolades in international music blogs, and a profile this year in East Bay Express. Chalk it up to their interest in post-modernism ("Cop That Flip" featured an altered version of the Timbaland rap from Aaliyah's "Try Again," which itself is based on a sample, from Eric B. & Rakim's "Paid in Full"), or their devotion to old-school nerdery. Maybe it's those low-down, grimy dance beats. Whatever the case, they're sure to sell out this Saturday, Dec. 4 at Club Mighty (119 Utah St., San Francisco) 9 p.m. $15 Machinedrum, oOoOO, and DJ Dials open.